4 Thursday, July 13, 2017 Island Beat Hawaii Tribune-Herald OPERA From page 2 “Giovanni is your runof the-mill party boy,” he explains. “A skirt-chasing baritone, this fairly young, licentious nobleman has racked up quite the reputation for himself. Always in pursuit of the next conquest to add to his catalog, there isn’t much that can stand in his way. “Though ‘Don Giovanni’ is largely a comedy, its message spans the ages: Those who manage to dodge their way through life always end up with the fate they deserve.” Christine Lyons, a native of Atlanta and a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University with a master of music degree from Peabody Institute, will be playing the role of Donna Anna. This will be her first time coming to Hawaii to participate in HPAF. “I’m excited to be singing my first ‘Don Giovanni,’” she says, “an opera which is often mounted in the world’s most prestigious venues, most recently at The Met and La Scala.” Lyons, a soprano who has performed in numerous operas across the country, previously studied and sang the roles of a handful of Mozart’s other heroines, including Contessa from “The Marriage of Figaro,” Pamina from “The Magic Flute” and Fiordiligi from “Così fan tutte.” “Donna Anna feels like the perfect next step,” she says. “I really feel like I ‘get’ her and that my musical and creative perspective on what Mozart (composer) and (Lorenzo) DaPonte (librettist) were aiming for in their Italian-language work is much more defined. I have learned an incredible amount concerning the process of preparing a Mozart role from some of the greatest singers on the planet.” Lyons says trusting in Mozart’s nuances that he wrote into the score makes all the difference in interpretation. “I think ‘Don Giovanni’ is like an exciting sporting event,” Lyons says. “I guarantee that audiences will find themselves rooting for certain characters, rooting against other characters, laughing with some, crying with others, and on the edge of their seat watching the plot unfold to see whether good or evil prevails. The story is relevant, the music is an exquisite luxury and the opera will showcase each of the singers in their finest states.” Opera, says Lyons, forces her to compete with herself day after day to showcase her talents at the highest level possible. “Opera thrills me because I get to embody or witness an absolute triumph of talent,” she says. “I’m convinced that opera at its best is riveting, mind-blowing and hair-raising.” Lyons adds that she’s looking forward to director Scott Skiba’s modern vision for the show, and that the English translation that will accompany the opera make watching the performance much like enjoying a foreign film. Skiba, executive artistic director of the Cleveland Opera, has led more than 60 new operatic productions, previously playing the title role in this opera, directed numerous scenes and produced two productions of the show himself. This will be his first time as an HPAF faculty member. “Mozart writes in a way that is very demanding for the voice,” Skiba says. “There is nothing to hide behind and (his compositions) have long lines, florid passages and are deceptively challenging. Also, DaPonte is a master of language, double entendre and dramatic use of the Italian language. The singing actors need to have a command of the language and be able to deliver the language in a dramatic and authentic way.” The cast will have an intense and shorter-than-typical time frame to prepare, and Skiba adds that the production also is very physically demanding. “We will be using rolling scaffolding as scenic elements, so while it won’t quite be ‘Cirque du Soleil’ level, there will be climbing, hanging, swinging and spinning, which is a bit out-of-the-box for opera,” he says. Audiences will be able to recognize some of the music and discover (or rediscover) opera as a dynamic form of entertainment. “Fifteen years ago, fine dining was considered elitist and now, with celebrity chefs, ‘Top Chef’ and the Food Network, fine dining is sexy and cool,” Skiba says. “I hope that people can discover the power and accessibility of opera, and that like fine dining, it can be embraced and enjoyed as sexy and cool.” The world of opera is changing, he says. “There are still the major companies: The Met, Chicago, San Francisco … that have multimillion-dollar budgets, but even they are exploring new ways to engage audiences with activities similar to smaller companies.” And audiences don’t need to know about opera to enjoy “Don Giovanni,” Skiba says. “Everyone has some concept of the notorious Spanish lover legend,” he says. “Mozart’s music is gorgeous so newbies can enjoy it on the surface level, while the most experienced aficionados can discover something new. It’s a drama giocoso (literally a playful drama) but translates into contemporary language as a dark comedy or black comedy. So the notion of opera being something ‘stuffy’ can be discarded and audience members can expect a fast-paced, wild ride.” The Hawaii Performing Arts Festival is entering its 13th summer season. Serious music students and faculty come from the U.S. mainland, Europe, Africa, South America and Asia to study and perform together in a monthlong musical-intensive program. Tickets for the Palace Theater performance are $20 in advance, $25 the day of the show, available at the theater box office from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday through Friday or by calling 934-7010. You also can purchase tickets at www. HawaiiPerformingArts- Festival.org. Tickets for the Kahilu Theatre show are $20, $30 and $40, available through the Kahilu Theatre website, www. kahilutheatre.org, or by calling 885-6868. For more information about the performance, call 333-7378.
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